Ironing board



Dec; 15, 1942. F. MASTRANGELO IRONING BOAR Filed April 20, 1942 la -E -QAI III"

I Ive/e an! Wmst'rw Patentecl Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRONING BOARD Frank Mastrangelo, Fitchburg, Mass. Application April 20, 1942, Serial No. 439,712

Claims.

This invention relates in general to ironing boards and more specifically to ironing boards of the type which are mounted in a frame adapted to be secured to a wall and in which the board and its supporting structure are foldable into the frame in concealed position within the wall.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a frame pivotally mounting an ironing board for extension from the frame in horizontal position for use or for folding within the frame in vertical concealed position, said ironing board having a folding supporting structure comprising a free-ended strut pivoted or hinged to the underside thereof and a pivoted guide rod mounted in the frame and slidably cooperating .With the strut for guiding the strut during unfolding of the ironing board to position the free end of the strut in a predetermined stopped condition in the frame to solidly support the ironing board thereby; the provision of an ironing board as above recited wherein the guide rod is pivoted to an anchor in the lower end of the frame in such a manner as to stop the free end of the strutand hold it against undesired vertical movement in either direction; and the provision of an ironing board as recited wherein the guide rod is of simple construction and embodies a hook at one end for engagement wth an eyed anchor set in the frame,

there being eyes on the strut aligned in a mannor to slidingly receive the guide rod.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a wooden hinge pin for pivotally mounting the ironing board, the latter being suspended from the pin to provide a space between the rear wall of the frame and the board in closed condition of the latter for the reception of a small auxiliary or sleeve board between the main board and the rear wall.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an ironing board embodying my invention and showing the same in folded condition, there being parts broken away in this View;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but showing the ironing board in unfolded condition ready for use;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the end of the supporting strut showing it in supporting condition;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of one end of the wooden pivot pin for the ironing board.

The numeral I 0 indicates a vertical wall in or on which the ironing board frame is adapted to be set. This frame comprises parallel side walls l2, a rear wall l4, and a raised bottom step Hi, there being a door I8 hinged to a side wall if desired.

Aligned bores are provided in the inside surfaces of side walls [2 at points spaced vertically above the step l6 for the pivotal reception of a large pin 28 which is journaled in horizontal condition in the bores. The main ironing board 22 is bolted or otherwise secured at its inner end to the, pin below the same when the ironing board is horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2. Clearly this construction will provide a space between the board 22 and rear frame wall [4 when the board is rotated to its closed position as in Fig. 1, and this space is utilized to house a small sleeve board 24 fixed to a pin 28 which is mounted in the side walls l2 similarly to pin 20 but above it. Sleeve board 24 is also provided with a pivoted strut 28 for supporting it on the main board in Fig. 2 position, there being a notch 30 for reception of the free end of strut 28 in folded position thereof. A clip 32 holds board 24 in closed position, and a pivoted latch 34 on the main board cooperates with a frame side wall aperture 36 to hold the main board.

A flat strut 38 is pivoted by a flat hinge 39 to the underside of the main board 22 intermediate of its ends as shown in Fig. 2. This strut is adapted to pivot inwardly to lie parallel to the board in closed condition of the same as in Figs. 1 and 3, and clearly will pivot outwardly when the main board is brought down. Strut 38 is of a length to rest on step l6 at its free end to support the board 22 in horizontal position.

A guide rod 40 is provided with a hook 42, having a substantially straight end 43, at one end thereof to pivotally connect with an eye anchor 44 set into the step It. The eye anchor is set parallel to the main board 22 and to the rear wall [4 so that the guide rod hook 42 entering therein will be located in a plane at right angles to the board and rear wall and to the strut 38.

A pair of aligned guide eyes 46 are mounted in the strut 38 on its upper surface to slidingly receive the guide rod so as to slidably and guidingly connect the rod and strut, and it will be seen that as the main board 22 pivots down in Fig. 2, the strut 38 will tend also to pivot down under the influence of gravity, but will be restrained to a limited arc only by reason of the guide rod 4!]. The free end of the strut must come to rest on the shelf l6 just in front of anchor eye 44 and will be supported against further drop by its edge 48, see Fig. 4. At the same time the opposite edge of the free end of the strut comes into contact and is stopped by the forward straight end 43 of the rod hook 32, and because of the substantially straight end of the hook, the free end of the strut underlies the same and is thus prevented against any upward vertical 'motion except under influence of the main board 22 itself. Hence it will be seen that the strut 33 is securely set in place and the main board 22 will not be affected by any forces acting at the free end of the strut, thereby rendering the boardsolidly supported when in use.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

ll. In an ironing board construction, a frame adapted to be secured in vertical position to a wall, a horizontal shelf or the like at the lower end of the frame, an ironing board pivoted. to the frame above the shelf, a strut pivoted at one of its ends to the ironing board, an anchor on said shelf, a guide element pivoted to said anchor, and a sliding non-pivotal connection between said strut and element, said strut being pivotable downwardly under the influence of gravity when said ironing board is pivoted down. the free end of the strut being guided by said guide element into supported relation on said shelf to support the ironing board, said strut being of a'length to extend from its pivotal point on the board, when the latter is in horizontal position, to said shelf.

2. An ironing board comprising a frame adapted to be secured in vertical positionto a wall, an ironing board mounted on a horizontal pivot in said frame, a fixed horizontal shelf or the like in the lower end of the frame, an anchor set into the top of the shelf, a rod pivoted on said anchor, a substantially fiat strut pivoted to the under'sideof the ironing board, means mounted in the side of the strut facing the ironing board to slidably receive the rod, and said strut and rod being pivotable downwardly when said ironing board is pivoted downwardly, whereby said rod restricts the pivotal extent of said strut and brings it to rest on the shelf to support the ironing board in horizontal position.

3. An ironing board as recited in claim 2 wherein said anchor comprises an eye and said rod is provided with a hook entering said eye, said strut being adapted to come to rest in ironing board supporting condition against said hook as well as against the shelf.

4. In an ironing board of the class described, a frame having a rear wall and parallel side walls adapted -to be mounted on a vertical wall, an ironing board pivoted on a horizontal pin in said frame, a horizontal shelf at the lower end of said frame,- an anchor eye set in said frame in a plane parallel to said rear wall, a rod, a hook on one end of said-rod, said hook entering said anchor eye in'a direction normal to said frame rear wall, a flat strut pivoted at one end on said board, means on said strut slidably receiving said rod, said strut being restricted in its pivotal movement by said rod, and resting on said shelf with its free end under said hook in ironing board supporting position.

5,..L'In an ironing board construction, a frame, aniironing board pivoted to said frame for pivotal movement between a folded generally vertical position and an extended generally horizontal position, a strut pivoted to the under surface of the ironing board, an elongated guide element pivotally anchored to the frame below the ironing board, a slidable connection between the 'strut andguide element, a Isupport adjacent the point of the pivotal connection of the guide element to the -frame,-whereby the ironing board may be swung from folded to extended position with the strut mounted on said support in ironing board supporting condition, said strut being of a length to extend from its pivotal point on the board to the support, when the board is in its horizontal position;

FRANK MAS'I'RANGELO. 

